HOUSTON - Hundreds of thousands of dead fish, likely killed by low oxygen levels in the water, was covering the beaches of the Mexico Gulf, local media reported Sunday.

According to the website of local English daily The Houston Chronicile, the small shad fish, which was very sensitive to changing oxygen levels, probably died as the temperature rose and oxygen levels dropped.

Peter Davis, chief of the Galveston Island Beach Patrol, said that there were hundreds of thousands of dead fish.

"I live in Bermuda Beach and I didn't see anything (Saturday) night. When I woke up this morning, the beach was covered with dead fish. This is the worst I've seen since joining the Beach Patrol in 1983," Davis said.

The dead fish pose no danger to the public, but they smell really fishy, he said.

More fish is expected to wash ashore.

Early Monday, work crews from the Galveston Park Board will begin to clean the beaches by removing the dead fish.